When you face a criminal charge and are arrested, one of the first things that might come to mind is how you’re going to get out of jail until your case is resolved. In some cases, this occurs because you’re released on your own recognizance, which means the court allowed you to be released with just a promise to appear for their court hearings.
If that type of release isn’t offered, you may be issued a bail amount. This is a monetary amount that the court will accept as an assurance that you’ll return for your court hearings. That may be met with assets, but the court may require only cash. This is returned to you once you appear at all your court hearings and the case is resolved.
Bail versus bond
If you can’t afford the entire bail amount, you may be able to work with a bail bondsman. This person charges a fee, usually a certain percentage of the bail amount, to write a bond to the court for you to be released.
The bond that’s issued comes with a promise to make sure you appear for court. If you skip out on court dates, the bondsman will have to pay the bond or get you to court. Even if you appear at all your court hearings, you don’t get your money back from a bondsman.
Being released from jail gives you the chance to work on your defense strategy at your own pace. You should do this quickly and ensure you have the defense that’s in your best interests.